No Common Cents

A Pennsylvania bank made a critical error 25 years ago this summer. I want to peg Mellon Bank as the culprit since I lived in Western PA at the time, but I can’t be 100 percent sure. Whoever it was,…

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The Right Fit

When I first saw the message, I felt a rush of excitement. A college friend contacted a few of us to make sure we would help with our reunion next year since she had been named as co-chair of the…

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Feeling Quite at Home

I felt right at home inside the bar. Now that might sound like old news to people who know me well, but this situation had a different element. The bar in question was in Cambridge, Mass., and I had never…

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Post Office Memories

I loved my college years for many reasons. I didn’t have a lot of responsibility, I learned a ton of things, plus I made some of the best friends you could ever imagine. But one benefit of those four years…

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The Great Hamloaf Rebellion

Due to circumstances out of my control, I will be attending a meal at a friend’s house this weekend where the main course will be hamloaf. To say I’m not excited about this is the understatement of the millennium. I think…

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Costume Conundrum

When I saw the kids in the costumes on Trick or Treat night last week, I felt a little envious. Not of the candy because I knew I would dip into my daughter’s stash when she got home. I envied…

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Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Back in 1986, I returned home from working on a Friday night in the spring to news I had hoped I wouldn’t get. My first-choice college, William and Mary, had put me on the waiting list for the fall semester….

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April Fool’s Fun

You don’t see too many good April Fool’s pranks. You really need good timing, the right people and a believable story line to pull it off. My sophomore or junior year of college, everything came together perfectly. A little background…

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Yahtzee!

I learned a lot of things at college. My academic program prepared me for a career as a writer. Playing a varsity sport provided many lessons about hard work and dedication. My social and leadership activities helped me learn how…

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Look at That Body!

Once upon a time, I had motivation that went beyond trying to win football games on the Playstation and staying up later than was reasonable for someone my age. I actually worked out. A lot. I had to because I…

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